Brake-beam



H. F. BALL.

(No Model.)

BRAKE BEAM.

No. 600,667. Patented Mar. 15, 1898 WITNESSES J ATTORNEY.

Unrrnn Sterne HERMAN F. BALL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO' THE CHICAGO RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRAKE-BEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,667, dated March 15, 1898.

Application filed September 18, 1897. Serial No] 652,121. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN F. BALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, in the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-l3eamsg and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of a brake-beam embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the beam, taken on the line a: 00, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the lateral sections composing the beam,the outer or end portion of each section being broken off. Fig. 4c is an edge view of the meeting edge of one of the lateral sections which form the beam. Fig. 5 is a detached top plan view of one of the fulcrum-plates, and Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrams showing how the fulcrumplates may be arranged to form either a right or left hand lever-slot.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates generally to the construction of metallic brake-beams, but more especially to the class of malleableized castiron brake-beams, and has for its several obj ects, first, the simplification and facilitation of the manufacture; second, the avoidance, as far as possible, of unequally-distributed strains in the structure, and, third, the con vertibility of the beam from a right to a left hand beam, or vice versa.

To this end my invention, generally stated, is embodied in a brake-beam composed of counterpart slotted lateral sections having transverse reinforce-ribs, said sections united on the median line and having combined therewith overlapping slotted f ulcrum-plates which reinforce the beam and serve to uniformly distribute the strains to the lateral sections thereof.

There are other minor features of invention, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

The preferred form of the beam is that of a truss or oblique-angled isosceles triangle composed of two right-angled lateral sections A A, each of which may have a series of centrally-disposed slots or openings at a to lighten the beam without detracting from its strength and to facilitate cooling of the casting without warping or the formation of unequal strains.

19 b b indicate a series of strengtheningribs disposed upon both faces of the sections A A, the first of which, I), extends longitudinally of the section, preferably within the margin or edge thereof, while the second, 17', may be within the margin of the section, but preferably constitutes the front edge or face of the section, while the third rib, b constitutes the meeting edges of the section at the back and front to afford means for bolting or otherwise uniting the lateral sections A A, while at intermediate points 1 2 2 it recedes from the edge of section A to form the fulcrum-plate, recess, or seat 3. The meeting edges of the sections A A are also notched, as at 4, to form the lever-slot of the beam.

1) indicates a series of transverse ribs which may connect the longitudinal ribs 1) b, and being disposed in the line of strain will materially strengthen or stiffen the structure.

Adjacent to the narrow end of each section A, or that end which is to receive the brakehead, it is provided with a transverse tube or socket 5 for the reception of a finger-guard, (not shown in the drawings,) which may be secured by a pin passed through the hole 6 or in other suitable manner.

F indicates the f ulcrum-plates,two of which (counterparts) will be employed with each beam, one upon the upper and the other upon the under face of the beam, and so disposed as to lap the sections A A at their meeting edges. The general shape of the fulcrumplate F is not material, and will of course conform in a measure to the shape of the plate-seat 3, formed by the recession of ribs 1 2 2, though by preference the plate is rectangular, as thereby the sections A A are better braced and the strain from the. brakelever more uniformly distributed to the sections A A.

Each fulcrum-plate F will have a lever-slot f and at the margin thereof a flange or ear 8,

which projects over the slot f and is inclined at an angle of about forty-five degrees, more or less, and is perforated for the pivot-pin of the brake-lever.

The sections A A and the fulcrum-plates F F may be cast and malleableized in the usual manner, a single pattern for section A and another for plate F being all that will be required, as though four pieces go to make up the beam the lateral sections and fulcrumplates are counterparts.

In setting up the beam the sections A A are united along the median line by bolts 9 9, which pass through the ribs 19 b after which the fulcrum-plates F F are applied to the seats 3 within the ribs 1 2 2, one on the under and the other on the upper face of the beam,where they are secured by bolts or rivets 1O 10, and thus serve to further unite the sections A A and reinforce the structure.

The fulcrum-plates F F are preferably bolted to the beam, so as to be of ready removal and replacement, and when it is desired to change a beam from a left-hand to a righthand beam all that is necessary is to detach the plates and turn them end for end, (see Figs. 6 and 7,) whereupon it will be found that the inclination of the flanges or perforate ears 8 8 have changed from left to right and are readyto act as the fulcrum for a righthand lever.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A brake-beam composed of counterpart lateral'sections having transverse reinforceribs, said sections united on the median line, and a plurality of slotted fulcrum-plates, which overlap the lateral sections of the beam and are united therewith; substantially as 40 and for the purposes specified.

2. A brake-beam composed of counterpart lateral sections having transverse reinforceribs constituting a fulcrum-plate recess, said sections united on the median line, and a plurality of slotted fulcrum-plates which overlap the lateral sections of the beam and are united therewith, substantially'as and for the purposes specified.

3. A brake-beam composed of counterpart 5o lateral sections united on the median line, and counterpart flanged slotted lever fulcrumplates which lap the counterpart lateral sections on the median line to form reinforce-- plates therefor, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 16th day of September, 1897.

HERMAN F. BALL.

WVitnesses:

O. E. HATCH, HARVEY J. Wilson. 

